Fatal Consequences

by Marie Force

  Nick decided the best way to play this was the dumb way. “I’m afraid you gentlemen have me at a disadvantage. This is the first I’m hearing of it.” In hindsight, he realized he should’ve expected this visit. If they’d had any idea who exactly Sam was targeting, they’d be too busy having apoplexies to be bothering him.

  “Senator, I’d like to think we’re all one big happy family in the Democratic Party,” Sanborn said with a charming smiling lighting up his handsome face. “Wouldn’t you?”

  “I suppose.”

  “And a family takes care of one another, am I right?”

  Not my family, Nick wanted to say but didn’t. “Mitchell, why don’t you save us all a lot of time and trouble and tell me what is you want from me?”

  “Let’s talk first about what I want for you, Senator, shall we? I believe you’ll recall our last conversation in which I mentioned the very high aspirations the party has for you as our brightest new star.”

  Starting to get a feel for where this was heading, Nick said, “You’ll recall that I told you I wasn’t ready to have that particular conversation.”

  “Indeed. However, I’d like to think that when you are ready, your party will be standing by, willing to lend you the support and encouragement you would need.”

  “In exchange for what?”

  Sanborn’s face once again lost its amiable expression. “Tell your fiancée to back off.”

  “Wait a minute,” Knott said, practically levitating out of his chair. “You never said you were going to say that to him!” To Nick, Knott added, “I didn’t condone this. He asked me to come with him to see you, but he never said he planned to do that!”

  Nick put up a hand. “Easy does it, Judson. Let me make this real simple for all of us.”

  “That’d be preferred,” Sanborn said.

  “Get out of my office.”

  Sanborn sputtered, and his face turned very red. “You can’t…I won’t…”

  Nick stood up to his full six-foot-four-inch height. “Get. The. Hell. Out. Now.”

  Sanborn stood up slowly, smoothing his hands over his suit. “You’re making yourself a powerful enemy, young man.”

  “That’s senator to you, and by the time I’m through telling the party leadership what you came in here asking me to do, you won’t have much power left, so enjoy it while it lasts.”

  “Judson,” Sanborn said. “Let’s go.”

  “You go on ahead. I’m not going anywhere with you.”

  Sanborn turned on his heel and stalked out of the room.

  “There goes my chance to be president,” Nick muttered with a chuckle intended to defuse the tension in the room.

  “I’m so sorry, Senator,” Judson said. “I had no idea…”

  Nick rested a hand on the older man’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about it.” Judson and the rest of the Virginia Democratic Party had been nothing but supportive of Nick and his staff since John O’Connor’s sudden death turned their lives upside down.

  “If he had told me what he planned to do,” Judson said, “I would’ve told him it was a waste of time.”

  “What did he tell you he wanted with me?”

  “To talk about the campaign and check in with you.”

  “Well, he checked in.”

  “And checked out,” Christina said.

  “They must be really scared,” Nick said as another thought occurred to him. He drew his new BlackBerry from his pocket. “Would you mind giving me a minute?”

  “Of course, Senator,” Judson said. He and Christina quietly left the room, closing the door behind them.

  The moment he was alone, Nick dialed Sam’s number. “Hey, babe.”

  “Hey.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “How can you tell something is wrong with one word?”

  “Because I know you.”

  “The AUSA won’t let me go after Bartholomew until we have more than Selina’s testimony. I’m waiting on the freaking lab, and it’s taking them all goddamned day! Tell me things are going better over there.”

  “They were going well until a few minutes ago.” He told her about Sanborn’s visit and how infuriated the party chairman had been by Nick’s refusal to interfere with the investigation.

  “And you just handed me a new suspect.”

  “That’s what I was thinking too.”

  “Have I mentioned lately that I love you?”

  He smiled. “I’ll take it whenever I can get it.”

  “I’m sorry you were put in that position.”

  “It’s certainly not your fault.”

  “I told you so,” she said.

  “What did you tell me?”

  “That my shit was going to bang up against your shit and cause you trouble.”

  “I love when your shit bangs up against my shit.”

  “That’s so gross. I’m trying to be serious here.”

  “And I’m trying to say that I don’t care if your shit bangs up against my shit. I’m doing the best possible job I can for the people of Virginia. If Election Day comes and they’re not happy with me, so be it. I refuse to let this job take over my entire life.”

  “You’re very evolved. How did you get so evolved?”

  “Thanks to you and the murders of two of my good friends, I’ve figured out what really matters in life, and I absolutely refuse to let people like Sanborn think I’m for sale.”

  “I’m seriously turned on right now.”

  Nick laughed. “For all the good that does me.”

  “Luckily for you, it’ll keep until I see you.”

  “Mmm, can’t wait.”

  “Thanks for the new lead and for standing up to Sanborn. For what it’s worth, I’m proud of you.”

  “It’s worth a lot,” he said. “It’s worth everything.”

  “I’ll see you when I see you.”

  For a moment, he debated telling her about the ramp at the house but then decided he’d rather it be a surprise. “Be careful with my fiancée. I love her more than life itself.”

  “Nick…You make me all fluttery. No one has ever made me fluttery. How do you do that?”

  Ridiculously pleased, he smiled. “What can I say? It’s magic. Take care, babe.”

  While she waited for the results from the lab, Sam did a run on Mitchell Sanborn. As his photo popped up on the screen, her skin tingled with goose bumps. Those eyes…Remembering Jeannie’s description of her attacker’s eyes, Sam sat riveted, staring at the screen. She read through his impressive biography, which detailed his Ivy League education and meteoric rise through the ranks of the Democratic Party. But she kept returning to that photo and those eyes…

  She printed it—along with five other random men—and grabbed her radio. “Cruz!”

  He popped up in his cubicle, a dollop of cream clinging to his bottom lip. “Right here, boss.”

  “Let’s go.”

  Grabbing his trench coat, Freddie scrambled after her. “Where to?”

  “First to see Jeannie and then, hopefully, to start arresting evil bastards.”

  “Oh, I love when we get to arrest evil bastards!”

  “Will you please finish that donut so I don’t have to smell it?”

  “Want some?”

  “Yes, but my ass is growing at such an alarming rate that my wedding dress will have to be sewn by a tentmaker rather than Vera Wang. Keep it away from me.”

  “Your ass is not that big. Not that I’ve looked or anything…”

  Sam shot him her most withering look.

  He swallowed the last bite of donut. “Is Vera Wang really making your dress? Even I’ve heard of her.”

  “Apparently so. That reminds me…” Reaching for her phone, she texted Shelby and her sisters, moving the evening’s appointment to her father’s house since hers was fire damaged at the moment.

  “Everything okay with Nick? I assume he eventually showed up last night.”

  “Yeah. He’s kind of a mess after seeing hi
s deadbeat mother this week. She shook him down for twenty-five grand.”

  Freddie released a low whistle. “Poor guy. He’s had enough lately.”

  “I couldn’t agree more. What about you? All ready for tonight?”

  His mood changed in an instant. “I guess.”

  “Any word from Elin?”

  Dejected, he shook his head. “Not since I told her to show up tonight or else.”

  “Are you regretting the ultimatum?”

  “Kind of. I like her. I don’t want it to be over.”

  “You don’t think she’s going to show?”

  “No.”

  “Maybe you’re not giving her enough credit.”

  He shrugged. “Why should she have to put up with the cold shoulder from my mother? She can have any guy she wants.”

  “Seems to me she wants you.”

  “I guess we’ll see, won’t we?”

  Over the top of her car, Sam said, “There’re a lot of women out there, Freddie. If things don’t work out with this one, there are plenty of other fish in the sea.”

  “Took me twenty-nine years to reel this one in. I’m not ready to throw her back yet.”

  Inside the car, Sam started it and gave it a minute to warm up. Her cell phone rang, and she took the call from Captain Malone.

  “Tell me you’ve got news from the lab,” Sam said.

  “We’ll get to that. But first I wanted to let you know that Peter Gibson was just released from custody.”

  Sam had known it was coming but hearing confirmation sent her stomach into a tailspin. Resting a hand over her churning belly, she said, “Okay.”

  “I’m sorry, Sam.”

  “Not your fault.” A knot of fear settled in her throat, threatening her legendary composure. “What’ve you heard from the lab?”

  “Semen was found on the clothing.”

  “Thank you, Jesus.”

  “You’re to tread lightly with Bartholomew until we know the DNA is his.”

  “We know it’s his.”

  “We know that a call girl told us it was. Until the lab tells us, you’re to consider him a person of interest not a suspect. That’s right from Farnsworth and Forrester.”

  “Semantics,” she said, scoffing. “Did you get me the warrant for his DNA?”

  “Signed, sealed and delivered.”

  “Cruz and I are heading out now. I need to see McBride for a moment, and then we’ll track down Mr. Bartholomew.”

  “What’re you up to with McBride?”

  “Not sure yet. Could be something, could be nothing.”

  “Let me know if it’s something.”

  “I will.”

  “Where’s your tail?”

  Realizing she had once again forgotten all about the two police officers following her, she glanced in the mirror. “Right where they belong.”

  “Excellent. Keep me posted.”

  Closing the phone and dropping it into her pocket, she took a moment to absorb the news that Peter Gibson was once again walking the streets. Sam gripped the wheel but didn’t put the car into drive.

  “Gibson?” Freddie asked.

  She nodded.

  He let out a curse that was so wildly out of character for him that Sam couldn’t help but laugh.

  “He’ll screw up again, and when he does, we’ll be ready,” Freddie vowed.

  “I have no doubt.”

  “I’m sorry, Sam.”

  “Not your fault. We all screwed this up, and now we have to live with it. The best thing we can do now is to get justice for our current victims. They’re counting on us.”

  “I admire the way you’re rolling with it.”

  “What choice do I have?”

  “None I suppose.”

  “I had a somewhat major revelation while talking to Selina Rameriz this morning,” Sam said to Freddie as they pulled out of the HQ lot.

  “And that was?”

  “The reason they recruited immigrant women for the call girl ring—so they wouldn’t recognize the schmucks paying for their services. Sure, they might recognize the president and vice president, but how many Americans can pick out the speaker of the House let alone one of the senators from Virginia?”

  “Well, everyone in America would know Nick.”

  “Luckily, he has no need for call girls,” Sam said dryly.

  “Cook is a pretty big name in American politics.”

  “People new to the country wouldn’t recognize it.”

  “True.”

  “So it’s rather brilliant of them to recruit beautiful young immigrant women who’d have no idea who they were servicing,” Sam said.

  “And who wouldn’t raise much suspicion if they suddenly turned up dead.”

  “The person who killed them certainly wasn’t counting on a senator being in love with one of them.”

  “He also wasn’t counting on us,” Freddie said. “They probably thought the MPD wouldn’t care much about a couple of dead cleaning ladies.”

  “They thought wrong.”

  “You bet your ass they did.”

  “Such language, Lieutenant,” he said, frowning.

  Sam gave him the finger.

  “I’m offended.”

  “You’ll survive.”

  “What’re we seeing McBride about?”

  “I have a picture I want to show her. Just a hunch.”

  “Your hunches are usually spot-on.”

  “If this one is, we’ve got our killer.”

  Chapter 30

  Judging by Jeannie’s visceral and almost violent reaction to one of the six photos Sam showed her, they’d found their man.

  As she pushed the picture away, Jeannie began to sob.

  Michael, whose haggard face and red eyes told the story of how he’d taken the news about the rape, crawled right into the bed with her and wrapped his arms around her.

  “Who is he?” Jeannie whispered.

  Sam folded the photo and jammed it into her coat pocket. “Mitchell Sanborn, chairman of the Democratic National Committee.”

  “Oh God, it’ll be all over the news.”

  “Yes.”

  “Will you arrest him right away?”

  “I’m going for him as soon as I leave here.” Sam hesitated but only for a second before she reached for Jeannie’s hand. “If there’s anyone who should hear about what happened from you, the time to tell them is now.”

  “My mother,” Jeannie said, turning frantic eyes on Michael. “My family.”

  “It’s okay, honey,” Michael said. “I called your mom. She’s bringing your sister over. I’ll talk to them.”

  “It’s not enough that this had to happen, but now it’ll be blasted all over the news too,” Jeannie said as her tears turned to anger.

  “We’ll get you through this,” Sam said, gripping the other woman’s hand. “I had an idea, and it might not seem to make any sense…”

  “What idea?” Jeannie asked.

  “Remember when The Reporter was getting ready to publish the story about my near-abortion years ago?”

  Jeannie nodded.

  “Nick encouraged me to get ahead of the story—to tell it my way before they could tell the incorrect version.”

  “You’re not suggesting I actually talk to the media…”

  “I’m saying you might want to consider talking to one reporter, and tell him you’re all right, you survived, you’re on the mend. Show him—and the rest of the world—that this guy didn’t ruin you.”

  “I’m still not sure he didn’t.”

  “People don’t need to know that.”

  “If I did this, wouldn’t it hurt the case?”

  “Only if you gave away things that only you and he would know. I’m suggesting a very high-level interview that puts the story in your words but doesn’t jeopardize the case. You know what you can say and what you can’t.”

  Jeannie glanced at Michael. “What do you think?”

  “It’s entirely up to y
ou, of course, but I agree with Sam that it’s worth considering.”

  “I can’t imagine telling a stranger…” Her voice faded to a whisper, and her eyes filled with new tears.

  “Exposing your personal pain to strangers is difficult,” Sam said. “But Nick was right in my case. Once we put out the statement, the lies The Reporter printed lost some of their power over me. I don’t think I would’ve gotten through that episode as well as I did if I hadn’t gotten the chance to tell the story my way.”

  “Do you know someone? A reporter I could talk to?”

  “I have just the guy. He’ll do right by you. Darren Tabor from the Star. He did the joint interview with Nick and me.”

  “I loved that interview. He did a beautiful job.”

  “It was okay,” Sam said begrudgingly. Talking to reporters about her personal life would never sit well with her, but she’d done it for Nick and his campaign.

  “Would you be there with me?” Jeannie asked Michael.

  “Always. For as long as you need me, I’m right here.”

  Jeannie sent him a small but grateful smile and tightened her hold on his hand. “Okay,” she said. “I’ll do it.”

  “I’ll make the call and have Darren meet you at Michael’s house later this afternoon. That way you’ll have time to get home and settled first.”

  “Thank you, Sam. I feel better just knowing who did this and that you’re going to get him.”

  “I’m going to nail his ass to the wall,” Sam vowed. “For you and the others.”

  “I’m counting on that.”

  Gonzo awoke and sat up quickly, his heart racing. Alex had been crying relentlessly for hours. Finally, the baby had worn himself out and drifted into restless sleep a little over an hour ago. Gonzo and Christina had fallen into bed to sleep while they could. Through the baby monitor Gonzo could hear the little coos the baby made in his sleep, and was reassured. Sam’s sisters had told him the panic receded eventually. He certainly hoped so. Living in a perpetual state of terror was draining, to say the least.

  Gonzo glanced over at Christina. He wanted so badly to kiss her, but he hated to disturb her after she’d been up most of the night helping with the baby. He shifted onto his side, put an arm around her and drew her in closer to him. As much as he loved having the baby in his life, he missed the uninterrupted time with her.